Ten minutes separated the Chicago Cubs from the cusp of ending a season-high dropping streak to their worst lack of the season.
A five-run lead getting into the underside of the eighth ought to have offered sufficient cushion for the Cubs to place away the Houston Astros. Instead they departed Minute Maid Park forward of Thursday’s day without work with a crushing 7-6 walk-off loss that raised extra questions on how the Cubs bullpen can get on monitor.
The Cubs (19-24) head to Philadelphia, the place they kick off the final leg of their three-city, nine-game journey Friday carrying a five-game dropping streak.
“We’ve got to cash that win in,” supervisor David Ross stated. “You’re trying to set guys up for success and match up things that go well, and it didn’t go well tonight. So you’ve got to look at it. Go back to the drawing board and continue to have those guys work.”
Mark Leiter Jr., pitching for the second time in 10 days, allowed two runs within the eighth and struck out three. Keegan Thompson was referred to as on for the ninth towards the Astros’ 7-8-9 hitters with a 6-3 lead.
Within three pitches, the Cubs benefit was whittled to a run courtesy of Jake Meyers’ two-run homer. A full-count stroll to pinch hitter Mauricio Dubón ended Thompson’s night time.
Thompson says he doesn’t really feel any completely different from a season in the past, when he posted a 1.47 ERA in 36 reduction innings. As the Cubs attempt to maximize Thompson’s utilization and the way his physique recovers after pitching, they haven’t but been capable of deploy him in the identical method.
All 12 of his 2022 reduction appearances had been at the very least two innings with the bulk lasting three. Only six of his 15 outings this 12 months have gone a number of innings.
For the Cubs bullpen to perform inside the way it was constructed getting into the season, they want the 2022 model of Thompson. Traffic on the bases has been a continuing drawback for the right-hander, even when he tosses zeroes.
Through 15 appearances, he has allowed at the very least one baserunner in all however one recreation. The lone exception got here in his earlier look Sunday in Minnesota.
Thompson doesn’t imagine the standard of his stuff has been a difficulty.
“Things aren’t going my way right now,” he stated. “Just had some onerous contact right this moment. It’s a punch in my intestine. It simply sucks to let the crew down.
“I‘ve done the exact same stuff the whole time, and some of them haven’t been working out. It’s just tough to go through some of those hard times right now.”
Ross didn’t waste time getting Brandon Hughes up within the bullpen. The lefty started warming up after Astros catcher Yainer Díaz’s first-pitch leadoff single within the ninth. The immediate determination highlights the urgency of the second and Ross figuring out he wanted to have a lefty prepared for the highest of the order, in preparation for Thompson dealing with the minimal three-batter requirement.
Hughes surrendered a double to Jeremy Pena and deliberately walked Alex Bregman to load the bases with no person out. After getting a forceout at house, Hughes gave up Kyle Tucker’s walk-off, two-run single to middle.
“The boys played well enough for a win and we didn’t do our job,” Hughes stated, “so it hurts.”
The blown lead squandered Drew Smyly’s stellar outing through which he restricted the Astros to 1 run in six innings. Seiya Suzuki (two house runs) and Christopher Morel (house run) led the offense.
“We’re just excited to get out of this city,” Smyly stated. “I mean, we’ve seen enough of it. Ready to get home.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com